The cabin was too still that evening.
Only the soft hum of the old ceiling light filled the air, flickering once in a while like it too was tired of staying awake. The smell of cold coffee and ink surrounded Anna as she sat in her small office, staring at the same file for ten straight minutes.
Her pen rested between her fingers, but the line she was supposed to sign stayed empty.
Somewhere between the ticking clock and the sound of her own heartbeat, her thoughts drifted to him.
Alex.
He hadn't come home last night.
No call. No text. Nothing except one message hours later — Got some work, don't wait up.
That was all.
Four simple words, but heavy enough to pull every piece of her calm apart.
She pressed her lips together and exhaled slowly.
In her world, silence was worse than shouting. Silence meant something had changed — and she could feel it, deep in her bones.
When the phone suddenly vibrated beside her hand, her heart leaped.
Alex called
"Alex?" she said softly.
"Anna!" his voice was too bright, too cheerful. "Guess what? I did it! I finally did it!"
She blinked, confused. "Did what?"
"I closed the deal, Anna! The biggest one! You don't understand — it's everything I've worked for."
He was laughing, breathless with joy, like a boy finally holding his dream.
"That's… that's amazing," she whispered, forcing a small smile even though he couldn't see it. "I'm proud of you."
"I just need one last thing," he added quickly, "and it'll all be official. Lunch at one? We'll celebrate."
She hesitated, but nodded even though he couldn't see that either. "Sure."
And just like that, he hung up — leaving her alone with the quiet again.
•
•
•
By noon, her mind was still caught somewhere between disbelief and worry.
Every corridor she walked down in the hospital felt endless. Every voice sounded muffled.
Even when her favorite nurse greeted her with a smile, Anna could only nod faintly in return.
When the clock struck one, she left work early — her heart beating faster than it should for something as simple as lunch.
•
•
•
The restaurant he chose shimmered under golden lights. It was beautiful — too beautiful, maybe. Crisp tablecloths, polished glass, soft piano music that pretended to make everything perfect.
And there he was.
Alex.
Smiling like he didn't break her heart a hundred silent times already.
"Look at you," he said, standing to pull her chair. "Always overworking yourself."
"Some habits never change," she replied, her voice calm but tired.
He ordered for them — of course he did.
The same way he always liked to control things he didn't understand.
When the waiter left, he leaned forward. His eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Anna, listen. That project I've been dreaming about… it's happening. We're so close! Just one last thing to sort out, and I'll finally have it all."
She smiled faintly. "That's good, Alex."
"Actually," he hesitated, "it's about that. William — the investor — he, uh, asked for something."
Her brows furrowed. "Something?"
He took a breath, avoiding her eyes. "He wants you."
Anna froze. "What?"
"Not like that—" he rushed, panicking. "I mean… yes, like that. But only once. One night. Then he'll fund everything."
She felt the world tilt under her feet.
Her voice came out quiet, broken. "Alex… are you hearing yourself?"
"I'm not forcing you," he said, eyes pleading. "But think about it. This deal means everything. Just one night, and then it's over. We'll have the life we talked about."
Her throat burned.
She looked at him — the man she'd loved, the man she'd trusted — and couldn't recognize him at all.
She couldn't even speak. The walls seemed to close in, the piano too loud, her chest too tight.
"I… need some time," she whispered.
"Take it," he said quickly, relief flickering in his eyes. "Take all the time you need."
But what he really meant was — say yes soon.
•
•
•
The next few days passed in fragments.
Sleep. Work. Fake smiles. Endless thoughts.
Her body went through the motions, but her soul had stopped somewhere back in that restaurant.
By the fourth evening, she drove home under a pale rain.
The mansion stood there, grand and lifeless, like a memory she couldn't escape.
The maid greeted her softly. "Welcome home, ma'am. Sir is upstairs."
Anna nodded. "Thank you."
Her heels clicked softly on the marble stairs as she went up.
Her hands trembled — not from fear, but from decision.
She had promised herself: she would say 'no.'
Whatever he said, whatever reason he gave, she would say no.
But fate has its own cruel humor.
The door to their room was half-open.
She could hear the shower running, and Alex's phone blinking on the bedside table.
She shouldn't have. She really shouldn't.
But she did.
The phone unlocked easily — she still knew his password.
And what stared back at her made her world fall apart for the second time that week.
Alex: She reacted badly. I don't know if she'll say yes. I want this deal so much.
Her sister: If I was your wife, I'd have done it without hesitation. She's too emotional. You deserve better.
Alex:Don't say that. She'll come around. She always does.
Anna stood there, shaking.
Her sister. Her blood.
And Alex, still trying to justify selling her heart like it was currency.
Tears rolled down before she even realized she was crying.
She placed the phone back down slowly, carefully — like it was something that could shatter, though she was the one already broken.
The shower stopped.
The bathroom door opened.
Alex stepped out, towel around his neck, looking relaxed, confident — like nothing was wrong.
"Hey," he said gently. "You're home."
The sound of his voice was almost enough to undo her.
She wanted to scream, to ask 'WHY!', to demand an apology that would never come.
But instead, she just stood there.
He frowned slightly. "Anna, what's wrong?"
Her lips parted, and the words came out before she could stop them.
"I'll do it."
His expression froze. "What?"
"I'll do the deal" she said again, her voice barely more than a whisper.
He blinked. "You… you mean it?"
She nodded once, hollow inside.
For a moment, he looked stunned — then joy flooded his face.
"Anna," he breathed, "you don't know how much this means. I promise, everything will be perfect after this."
He pulled her into a hug — tight, desperate, selfish.
Her arms lifted automatically, returning it.
His skin was warm, his heart steady against hers, and yet she felt nothing but the cold.
Inside her, something quiet and sacred died.
•
•
•
Later, she sat on the bed while Alex made a call downstairs, his laughter echoing faintly through the walls.
On her palm lay the necklace he had given her once — silver heart, small diamond, their initials carved on the back. She ran her thumb over it, feeling the sharp edges.
It no longer meant love. It meant 'debt'.
The phone on the table blinked again, but she didn't look.
She'd already seen enough.
Outside, the wind brushed the curtains like a whisper from something unseen.
And for a brief, strange moment, Anna felt a pull in her chest — a darkness calling her name, soft, like a promise she didn't understand yet.
She blinked, and it was gone.
The world was silent again, and she whispered into it:
"Maybe I wasn't his dream after all.I was just the price he had to pay for it."
End Of The Chapter